The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-01-27
rrinces Out of Work.

Prince Alexander's career Is the
more remarkable because of late years.
while thrones have been very frequent-
" we'll filled, the cadets of the royal
houses have not distih gnished them
selves in proportion to their opportu-
mites. Charles of Hohenzollern has as
vet done best. The Archduke Maximi-
liam and Prince Amadeo both failed.
and the Prussian "Red Prince was
known only as a severe though compe-
tent disciplinarian. The Archduke
Albrecht showed himself a good gem
eral at Custozza, or ut all events he
won; and the French believe the Duo d
Aumale to be lirst-rate officer-but
there the list seems to end. The
princes are very numerous,s but they~
are undistinguished. There is reluc-.
lance, except perhaps in Russia, to en-
ploy them, for the kings have ceased to
be afraid of their kinsfolk but whether
from want of will or want of power,
they do not come to the front, even rs
much rs they did when .'rurenne,"
who,- as son of the DUO de Bouillon.
was child of France, found his ablest
opponent in Eugene of Savoy, semi
prince OF three Municipalities. They
seem for the moment to DO without
ambition. There was some difficulty
in filling the throne of Greece and it is
said by men who have special inter-
est in making the search successful.
that there Is not q prince in
Europe, outside the five families who
are barred bv treaty, who is bold
enough, or adventurous enough. or
original enough, to accept the Bulgar-
ian throne. Yet the next prince of
Bulgaria, if he is competent, will be
genearalissimo of the Balkan fedora
ton, and perhaps, in the end. emperor
of Constantinople, the place which
King Leopold of Belgium regretted Ill
his that he had thrown away. Those
are large prizes for young men whose
only natural business, in their own eyes
ut all events, is ruling, and who, when
without such business have to lead
lives which would be very monOtonous
and distasteful. Indeed, they are bor-
ed to death, and marry all kinds of
piquant women not of their own class
just to escape suffocation from their
own rank.
One would have thought there
would be endless intrigues with this
court and that to secure nomination
to Bulgaria, but the princes lack even
the audacity of the king of Roman a,
and ask for guarantees, and ''assur-
ances," and civil lists. and all manner
of proppings which just now they can
not have, but with which, in year or
two, they might be well able to DIS
pence. We suppose that like every
body else nowadays they disbelieve
in themselves, doubt if they can be
necessary anywhere, and want to be
sure beforehand of physical comfort
but there must be sad lack among
them of the spirit which POUNDS dynas-
ties. Nobody is asking for a states
manprince, or anything else very Won
derful. The thing wanted is a young
man with some head, some military
training. and the nerve to think that
with throne before him some risk OF
life for few years is not to be consid.
cred final obstacle. 1t is run every
day by young soldiers and old states
men, and kings can not be d.sgraced
except by themselves. We know moth.
ing more curious. or in its way more
disheartening, in the modern history Of
Europe than that princes should enjoy
a monopoly of this particular section
of the worlds work, and that, never
theless, there is no one among them
with audacity enough to accept tn,
throne of Bulgaria Internationally.
Five years of it might be made worth
fifty years of ordinary princely life,
choked and trammcled as it is with
etiquettes; and if the prince failed, he
could fall fighting, and say, with
Charles Albert, after Novara: ''At least
have not died as kings die" One
thing is quite certain: if this kind OF
want of spirit lasts, the princes will
not long retain their monopoly of reign
ing. The people can make princes
they want them. and eastern Europe
may ultimately be distributed among
men whose newness and success will
teach mankind that. after all, there is
not much In pedigree. King Milan
does not do much to dissipate that old
lllusion; but one successful prince
sprung from the eople would cure all
applicant nations of wandering about
Europe to dispose of q, throne:
don Spectator. tf.l